Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This was such a refreshing take on mages, vampires, and necromancy! Ailyn made for a compelling lead as she uncovers the truth about her identity as the reincarnated Dark Necromancer, and I appreciated seeing an older FMC alongside such a diverse cast. Her dynamic with Sylvain felt natural, though I'll admit I would have loved a bit more mystery around his backstory and motives as coven leader. The world building really shines here, rich with detail and atmosphere that pulled me into Enthalor completely. There were moments I found myself holding my breath, and the twist at the end had me immediately anticipating the sequel. The writing style leaned a bit more YA than expected for an adult fantasy, with some dialogue feeling slightly over explained rather than left to interpretation, but the pacing still flowed nicely and everything tied together well by the end. An intriguing, promising start to what should be a strong series.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a refreshing take on mages, vampires and necromancy! I have read a lot of this genre but I was pleasantly surprised to find this magic system to be unique and engrossing.

I appreciated the older FMC rep and diverse cast. Synonymously, Ailyn’s dynamic with the MMC and other characters felt natural and cohesive. Sylvain is a charming vampire who Ailyn is immediately intrigued by, although, I would’ve liked a tad more mystery surrounding his character - particularly his ascension of coven leader, and reasoning behind his motives.

A minor issue I had was the writing style; Although marketed as an adult novel, it read quite YA in the sense that things were over described rather than left to interpretation. At times, I found I couldn’t fully immerse myself in the story when the dialogue felt slightly too expository. I thought the pacing flowed nicely and everything tied together well at the end.

I don’t typically enjoy reincarnation/ memory loss plots, however, I found both Ailyn and her past life’s narrative similarly captivating. Overall, I do think the premise of this story is really intriguing and this will surely be a strong debut.

3.5 stars

Spice level: 3🌶

Ailyn, a young mage growing up in an academy, is called to perform a symbolic magical ceremony a large gathering of diplomats, with a somewhat hostile embassy of vampires present. All seems well until the academy is viciously attacked by undead creatures just a few hours later, and Ailyn shows defense skills that surprise her and others.

There are a lot of strong elements here and a solid foundation. Plot-wise, the mythology surrounding Ailyn and a parallel character from the past are quite well done. The world building and the continuity between the past timeline and the present are strong and convincing. The world is in a fragile balance, with several factions paying lip service to peace between species that by default are hostile to one another -- because the alternative, in which they are all demolished by a common enemy when they don't stand united, is much worse. This gives the world real stakes. In terms of writing and character development, there are some emotionally strong scenes that are well written, and the prose sometimes offers comic relief (``Don't you have another poor soul to underwhelm?'') or a really insightful passage. So there is real potential.

Where the book lost me was pace and clarity. Long stretches lean on telling rather than showing, and the opening quarter in particular drags -- even around a frantic battle -- with repeated fretting and compliments that do not advance plot or character. Aims are often under-articulated: why take Ailyn to Amaraina, what the mission’s true scope is, what her role should be, and why she expects a return to her old life after so much has already changed. The romance and emotional arcs are uneven as well -- attraction and early intimacy, then coldness and disrespect that sit oddly with the earlier choice to bring Ailyn along. Then there is a very muddled situation with a rival which has a very promising setting (oof, that was a really strong, heart-breaking scene!), but then a sudden declaration of feelings comes out of the blue, and then the rival’s dispatch is just too convenient and prevents any real insight into that situation.

Ambitious setup and strong mythic bones; tighter editing and clearer emotional through-lines would have helped.

I absolutely loved this! I wish I had the next book already but I will absolutely be following along for whatever comes next. The world building felt rich and detailed but not overwhelming, which I feel is the perfect medium in fantasy much of the time. Ailyn was an honest and visceral character. I couldn’t help but root for her as she struggled to find her footing after being completely uprooted. She didn’t feel singularly spectacular or like the saviour of everything, which made her more comprehensible. She is frustrating and imperfect but we as readers are better for having FMCs like her to remind us that we are not only the choices we make but how we feel about them. And who we once were isn’t who we will always be.

Sylvain, resident chaotic bisexual, is one of the first male leads I’ve read in the last few months that hasn’t made me angry at the unrealisticness of it all. He is traumatized and scared and carries on anyway. He is also such a great representation of the long lasting harm of sexual assault and the non-linear nature of healing. I’ll be thinking about him and looking forward to learning more about him in the sequel.

My one issue was pacing - girl your friends are trapped with some kind of monstrous necromancer, hurry up!!!!!! Like I understood why they took so long and I appreciate that the book is realistic - it really should take that long to prepare to go to war - but there was yearning where there should have been yearning and what’s happening to my friends lol?

Overall I am so looking forward to the sequel and found the editing, writing, world building, character development, and story to be engaging and well done!